The Flat Mate
by flushed puppy 15
Summary: Tailgate finds an injured and delusional Cyclonus at his door step and decides to take him in. The out come of that particular decision could change Tailgate's life as he knows it, not to mention the fact that bringing shelter to a refugee/fugitive brought his parents life's to an untimely end. But really what's the worst that could happen?
1. Resurections of dead memories

The cold deserted streets echoed with loneliness, the stars above shined down and casted an eerie glow atop the helm of a lone mini-bot.

"Yeah don't worry it's okay. Yeah…yeah I know I'm at my flat right now calm down." he had a servo to his audio receptor talking to his friend Swerve. Primus it was like he was the Mini-bots carrier or something, honestly. Tailgate as his friends had deemed him, had to go out for some late night Energon and hadn't come back to his little flat a bit late that night. Tailgate rolled his optics behind his light blue visor and began to unlock the front door. As he punched the code in to the key pad the sound of pained groaning brought him to an abrupt stop. He whipped his helm around to find an injured mech stumbling into the over helm street light. The mechs helm was gashed and gushing fluid, while his side was badly burnt. Wires fell from other cuts and burst to let spilling Energon out. The large purple bot let out a pained groan as he fell to his knees.

"Oh Primus, are you alright? Here let me help you" Tailgate had always considered himself as caring and nurturing, but not nearly strong enough to heave the much bigger bot into his flat. He sighed in frustration and commed the best medic he knew.

"Ratchet? Hey I need some hel- yes I know what time it i- of course it's an emergency! I wouldn't wake you up in the middle of the night just say 'hi how's it going?'" after a few more begs and promises a medic pulled into the drive way of the building. He transformed into a very pissed off medic and sauntered up to the front stoop.

"Damn, you weren't kiddin." He said looking down at the unconscious bot Tailgate was trying to pull and yank through the front door. Together, Ratchet and Tailgate heaved the mystery bot onto a berth and patch his injuries up.

"How do you think he ended up so beat up?" Ratchet asked Tailgate. He shrugged and placed a cooling pack on the mechs head.

"I don't know…maybe he was attacked?"

~xxx~

"This is your last chance, if you refuse to give up and come back I'm gonna have to snuff your spark out." The larger bot pinned Cyclonus to the wall, claws digging into his arms and a blaster aimed at his helm. Cyclonus glared back at the other mech with a glazed look in his optics. The fluid loss was bad enough, but now it just got worse. After moments of silent sneering, the other mech slammed Cyclonus into the ground, which was a mistake on his part. Once Cyclonus was freed he kicked the other in the stomach sending him backwards. With a grunt Cyclonus aimed his blaster cannon and fired the other mechs leg, a smirk stretched itself across his face as he looked at the other mech writhing in agony. A sharp dagger pierced his side from another gang member and he growled elbowing his way free. He cupped his injury and staggered out of the damp ally way he was in, leaking fluid among other things onto the cold metal ground below. A loud boom turned up over head sending everyone into frenzy. The bots in the streets took cover and others held themselves up in nearby shops.

Cyclonus couldn't afford an explanation to the authorities if he held himself up in a shop, but acid rain wasn't a very good alternative either. He looked around and ended up hiding under a door stoop. By the time the rain let up the Cybertronian moons glowed up above. Cyclonus was nearing the all spark, and if he didn't get help soon his fate would be sealed.

"Yeah…Yeah I know I'm at my flat right now calm down." a small voice belonging to a mini-bot walked to his stoop as he hung up on the other caller. Cyclonus didn't find any other option, hopefully he wouldn't take him to a med-center. As he stumbled into the light the mini-bot whirled around in fright and surprise at his injured visitor.

'_Funny, usually bots scream at my appearance, how cute.' _Cyclonus thought to himself as he collapsed to his knees.

~xxx~

The sound of soft snores from the mystery bot carried through to berth over. Tailgate had one berth room with two berths, originally the flat was meant to be shared between two bots, but since no one else would buy it, Tailgate didn't really have that much competition. As for his guest, he only woke up once, but then again it wasn't much of a wake up considering he didn't even talk much. He didn't even eat anything, he just kept on mumbling on and on about not taking him to a center.

Tailgate let out a tired sigh and ran a servo down his face mask, how did this even happen? He was just minding his own business when this weirdo showed up out nowhere. Primus knows how he got those injuries…Tailgate glanced at his guest and saw him clenching the berth with clawed servos. Tailgate shivered and wondered where on Cybertron he got those in the first place. He groaned and rolled over on his stomach trying his best not to look like a creep while watching his guest re-charge… Tailgate shivered, he didn't want to think about creeps right now he was already friends with a few ones already and he didn't want to become one. The berth room door slid open with an electric hiss, Tailgate turned to find Ratchet looming over him. Tailgate gate scooted up on the berth and made some room for him.

"Worried much?" He asked setting a servo on the Tailgates knee. Tailgate shrugged sat up, leaning on the others shoulder. The older mech wrapped and arm around Tailgate and pulled him close, ever since Tailgates parents were off-lined, the only bot Tailgate felt he could rely on was Ratchet.

"I'm just worried that he'll wake up and tell me he's a fugitive or something, you know?" Tailgate confessed curling up against Ratchet's frame. Ratchet nodded and laid a gentle servo on Tailgates shoulder, he knew how he felt. After the new law that was passed, the one where you couldn't hold a fugitive even if it was unintentionally could result in death.

"I'll stay the night just in case, alright? If a cop comes along and starts to arrest you it'll help to have witness with you." Ratchet suggested giving his god-son an affectionate pat on the helm.

Tailgate nodded in appreciation and hugged his knees to his chassis as Ratchet left. He sighed and fell to his side and watched his flat mate a moment longer before falling into recharge. He supposed the time to worry could come later the time for sleep could come now.


	2. Helpless little things

The fact that school was starting tomorrow didn't stop Tailgate from staying home to watch Cyclonus. Ratchet had an emergency and had to leave earlier than he anticipated, in his place was a surly mech that went by the name Orion Pax. Orion had a strong build and towered over Tailgate with a blue and red paint job. His face mask didn't help much, after all, Tailgate was abnormally timid and big mechs tended to make him fidget.

"Don't take this personally, Orion, but if Tailgate shifts around a lot and mumbles to himself, it's because he's terrified of you." Ratchet informed walking Orion to the front door. Orion raised a brow,

"Is he any shiftier than possible suspects?" he asked placing a servo on his hip. Ratchet shrugged and knocked on the door. Stumbling and loud noises were heard before Tailgate answered the door.

"Hello Ratchet and police officer…" Tailgate stood absolutely still as his voice lowered to a nervous whisper. "hi." He managed to squeak out. Orion nodded and looked to Ratchet for some back up, but was left high and dry as Ratchet walked off waving a servo absentmindedly. Tailgate scrambled out of the way asked if Orion wanted any Energon.

"No thank-you, I already had some. This is a lovely Flat you have here." Orion said looking around, the kitchen was open and very bright. A long rectangular window was above the sink and a table sat in the very middle of the counters. A fridge was whirring next to the sink. The entire Flat was colored in white and pale blue.

"Th-thank-you, I decorated it myself. The reason why it's so big is because it's for two bots." Tailgate said sitting on the couch with his servos in between his thighs, rocking back and forth anxiously.

The den was decorated with a coffee table, a couch, and a table with a mirror hung above it, another window (similar in shape to the one in the kitchen) was above the couch.

"So you have someone in the other room?" Orion asked pointing to the bedroom door. Tailgate nodded felt his face heat up under his visor and mask, he didn't know how Cyclonus would react to Orion and he didn't want to make him angry. On other hand he didn't want to end up like his parents either. Tailgate was so caught up in trying to please everyone he didn't even realize Orion was walking up to him.

"Tailgate I promise I won't hurt you, but you're going to have to trust me…please?" Orion laid a gentle servo on Tailgates shoulder and hoped he wouldn't be too scared to show him who was in the other room. Tailgate shifted and made a small noise like that of a quiet whimper. He finally crumbled and got up to show Orion into the next room.

The room (like the rest of the house) was brightly lit and had a rectangular window at the far end in the middle of two berths. A desk and lamp stood under the window, a book-shelve sat to its left and a wall of pinned photos and news articles. What drew Orion's optic though, was the dark glowering mech on the berth away from them. Tailgate rushed over to him and asked in a hushed tone if he needed any pain killers. The mechs flaring red optics dimmed ever so slightly as he shook his helm.

"You must be Cyclonus, the bot that came up in the middle of the night bleeding to death." Orion said looking at the others bandages and welded metal.

"And you must be the cop that's come here to arrest me." Cyclonus said with a steal bite in his voice, which was cold, distant and rich with distaste. Orion's arms crossed as he looked to Tailgate who was right in the middle of banging his head into a nearby wall. "This is what I get for letting a strange bot into my home." He muttered quietly in the middle of beating himself in the forehead.

"Right, well that depends if you're wanted by the authorities or not," Orion said "You're not, are you?"

"As far as I know I'm not, but then again I don't really care that much anymore." Cyclonuses voice sounded distant as his optics shifted to stare at the floor.

"Well, I'll take that as a 'no' then, have a nice day you two." Orion spoke as he made his way to the exit.

"Wait" Tailgate asked catching him just before he left, "You're not going to arrest any of us?"

Orion was silent for a moment before speaking. "All that's here is two bots in need of some peace and quiet. That's all."

After he was gone Cyclonus huffed and sat up on his berth. "I'm more than glad you patched me up, but I would like you to know I can't stay long." Tailgate turned and met his optics. He shrugged and let his shoulders slump.

"That's okay, other bots never stay long so I wouldn't expect any special treatment from you either" he mumbled squeezing his other arm like a youngling would. His visor dimmed as he made his way out to give Cyclonus some space.

"Look I'll stay just as long as you don't drag me to any family events." Cyclonus said quickly just before Tailgate left. He paused; visor brightened and nodded in agreement.

"Oh, that reminds me," Tailgate said "I have school tomorrow so try not to go outside, okay? I don't want whoever did that to you know where you're hiding."

Cyclonus had completely forgot about Blackout and Knives, they were probably still sore from the shots he fired at them. Cyclonus didn't know what was worse, the fact that this little mini-bot was under his protection, or the fact that this little mini-bot was too cute to leave. Tailgate had gotten up next to him and looked at him with optics on over bright, damn this was going to be hard.

"Right, I'll try not to…" Cyclonus ground out. '_Scrap, this is going be really hard.'_ He thought as Tailgate sat on the edge of the berth and kicked his peds like a little sparkling. It seemed as though the mini-bot was as innocent as he looked.

"Welp, I'll go and get you some more Energon, you must be starved." Tailgate chirped as he hopped to the ground.

As Tailgate left Cyclonus thought just how hard leaving some had been, and hard it was now.

"Slag."

~xxx~

"This is an outrage, how could you let this happen?!" Starscream screeched at the top of his vocalizer. Blackout scowled at him from the dark damp plat form.

"He was the leading gun expert and he was second in command before you came along! He nearly killed us!" Blackout raged, Blazing red optics glaring at Starscream in agitation.

"Oh please, don't complain when you're the one who hired him in the first place," Knives said elbowing Blackout in the side. Blackout scowled at him, but quieted down. Knives was right, he did hire him in the first place and he knew what was to come if Cyclonus was to back fire.

"I'll fix alright?" Blackout said leaning against the wall behind him. The only way anyone knew he was still there was his optics.

"And how do you suppose you'll do that?" Starscream asked a clawed digit running along his chin.

"I'll use whatever I can against him; it shouldn't be too hard,"

"I think he has a soft spot for helpless little things."


	3. Deep waves

"So…" Tailgate began, servos clasping the Energon. His visor flickered as Cyclonus hummed in response, sipping the high grade in his clawed digits.

"So…" Cyclonus said raising an optic ridge. His voice grounded out like tectonic plates shifting against one another. Cold, distant, yet undefined in purpose which is to say what he meant. Was he being cold or did he just sound like that without meaning to?

"Yeah, how did you… get beat up?" Tailgate asked gesturing to Cyclonuses injuries. Cyclonus looked down to his patch-ups and back at Tailgate with a slight hint of amusement in his optics.

"Well, let's just say I had a run in with some old friends of mine." He took another gulp of his high grade, "They weren't too happy to see me." Tailgate fidgeted and swirled his drink around in its glass. He didn't want to just kick his new guest out, but he didn't want to be dragged into some gang war either. He didn't know what to do, much less how to keep his new friend safe. If his 'friends' did this to him in such a short few Nano-clicks then he didn't want to even think about what they could do to him in a few hours.

"Which brings me to the looming topic of me leaving; I can see the doubt in your optics so don't try to hide it," Cyclonus was so blunt it made Tailgate wish he didn't hide behind his blank face mask. Then again, he didn't know very many bots that could see through his visor.

"In truth I'm kind of tied up here, on one hand I don't want you to leave, and on the other I don't want to be caught up in something I never even signed up for." Tailgate rested his servos in his lap and shifted around nervously.

"I can understand that, it's quite a fearful topic, but never the less even if you didn't care about the consequences I would leave. I don't want to put you in any more danger than I already have."

"Well…thank you I suppose…but still I can't just leave you to die!" Tailgate didn't realize he had raised his voice until he heard the echo bounce off the cold white walls of the kitchen.

"…I see, so you want me to stay to keep your conscience clear…"

"What? No! I'm not doing this so I won't feel guilty I'm doing this because…you're the closest thing to a friend I have…no one at school will talk to me…Ratchet can't come and visit as much as he did before because he has work and…I just get so lonesome."

Cyclonuses optics dimmed at the sudden outburst, he laced his claws together and looked at tailgate skeptically. Like Tailgate said before, he didn't just want him to die alone on the streets. Cyclonus eyed the digital clock and saw it was fairly late. As far as he was concerned he had no business telling the other what to do, but really, he did have school tomorrow.

"We'll discuss more of this another time, but as I recall you have school in the morning." Cyclonus said standing up to his full height. Even when he sat down he loomed above Tailgate. When he stood up he towered over him.

"Uhm…right, I'll just go to my berth then…Cyclonus?" Tailgate asked, looking up at the other.

"I'll sleep on the couch, and don't worry," he kneeled down and patted Tailgates helm, "I'll be here when you wake."

"Thanks, it makes me feel a lot safer with you around." Tailgate chirred warmly.

"…yes, well off you go now. Don't doddle."

The night was long lived and dreamless, Tailgate rather enjoyed the new friend he had come to sort of…rely on as a bodyguard of some sort. Cyclonus would be lying to not only himself, but the rest of Cybertron if said he did not enjoy the mini-bots presence, but he did value the others life. He didn't want any more innocent mech's being off lined because of his recklessness. Not to mention the fact that his old gang was finally catching up to his sorry aft.

Lovely, absolutely lovely. Cyclonus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose; an oncoming helm-ache was surging over him. After a moment of contemplating he let himself fall backwards into the cool, plush couch. Before he knew it recharge washed over his frame it was welcomed and short lived, just like it had always been.

The next morning was, if anything, bright and unwanted. A warm smell drifted through the air and eased Cyclonuses on coming ache. His injuries flared and made him groan as he pulled himself up. Tailgate was standing over a warm energon pot, mist and evaporation fogging his smooth metal plating. Condensation pooled in seems and gaps dripping onto the kitchen counter.

"Oh, you're up. Here," Tailgate handed Cyclonus a steaming cup of warm energon. Cyclonus nodded and sat down at the table, the sweet cent clouding his processor. Ah yes, that was just what he needed, warm, soft and it helped more than he thought.

"Feel better?" Tailgate asked as he took a seat beside his companion. Cyclonus nodded and felt relief flood over him, he was used to pain, but hardly ever relieved of it. This was surely a blessing, to be ailed so soothingly.

"More than words could ever tell you." Cyclonus hummed as he gulped the solution down. Tailgate shrugged and finished his own drink.

"Well I have to get going, don't light the house on fire while I'm gone, if you need anything just call," Tailgate called as he walked through the front door. Cyclonus didn't catch the rest Tailgate said as he was too drowsy to even care. He just grunted in response as the youngling went to school.

After an hour long nap, Cyclonus was ready for just about anything, except Tailgates forgotten lunch. It even had a little note about not forgetting it.

"How this bot gets around without losing his own helm, I'll never know." Cyclonus grumbled as he tried to transform. He grunted in frustration as he was unable to, he sighed and walked the rest of the way to Tailgates school.

It was large, that was a definite. Composed of windows and sterling silver, the building shined in the sun light. Cyclonus groaned as he realized it was a high-school. He had never liked Teenagers; as a matter of fact not liking them was an understatement.

He despised them with every fiber in his being. But none the less he needed to get Tailgate his lunch. The femme at the front desk made a startled 'eep' as he approached her, his optics skimmed over a large data pad.

"I need to see Tailgate, please." He said looming over the accountant like a starved animal. He didn't mean to come across as fearsome, but in all honesty he didn't really care about her at the moment. He just needed to make sure Tailgate wouldn't starve to death during lunch.

"Y-yes of course, he should be in…the cafeteria! It's just around the corner; can't miss it." She chirped smiling sweetly up at Cyclonus. He nodded and went through the spinning doors his footsteps echoed through the empty hall way as he made his way to the cafeteria. It was filled with chattering students and obnoxious conversations, just as one should be. He skimmed over the crowd, but didn't see his tiny friend anywhere. Just a sea of strangers.

"Hmm…" he murmured under his intake, looks like this was going to be harder than he thought.

He strutted on and searched for the mini-bot, but to no avail. Where could one little bot get to?

"Gah! C'mon guys, let me down!" a shriek followed by heavy clanging. Cyclonus neared the corner of an unmarked hallway and was met with Tailgate hanging upside down by one ped. The Mech holding him up was smirking down at him and clenching his ankle in a vice grip. Tailgate struggled in the others hold while another Mech just laughed his helm off like there was no tomorrow.

What ever happened between Cyclonus snapping like a twig and the following screams of pain that followed was beyond Tailgate, but it went something like World War Two.


	4. The decrepit war

The heaving wonder was done with his tantrum. A shattered energon glass in his clawed digits, a new injury stung his servos. A bright fuchsia drained from his talons and leaked onto the once clean floor below them. Shards of glass burrowed in his hand and cut his metallic flesh open. Tailgate stood there, stunned beyond his own comprehension in awe as the rage in Cyclonuses eyes subsided like tsunami. The mechs that had been hanging him upside down were gone now, they ran away as soon as the first punch was flown. Cyclonus lifted Tailgate by his arms to meet his optics.

"Are you alright" he asked ignoring the gushing wound to his left.

"Am I alright? What about you?!" Tailgate was exaggerating in Cyclonuses opinion; he had far worse injuries in the past.

"I'm taking you to the nurses office grab your things." Cyclonus said setting Tailgate down. Tailgate made a move to argue, but Cyclonus waved him off.

"Worry about my injuries later." Cyclonus grunted grabbing a nearly shattered pile of data pads lying on the ground. As they walked down to the nurse's office Tailgate sneaked small worried glances to the lavender Mech walking beside him, red irises stared dead ahead. Cyclonus could feel the tension in the air like a mist. He sighed internally and focused on the path before them, he didn't need the pain in his left servo distracting him from a simple task such as this one. When they made their way into the nurse's office optics bore into them with obstructed curiosity. An old femme, with a faded purple paintjob and plump features, shifted her optics from Tailgate to Cyclonus.

"Uhm, we had a bit of a scuffle…could you patch my friend up by any chance?" Tailgate asked to break the tense and heavy silence that weighed down on them like tons and tons of rock. The femme nodded and guided Cyclonus to a medical berth for recuperation. Cyclonus sat down and watched her work with up most seriousness; he needed to have a little chat with Tailgate about the recent events. He had plenty of questions in store for the little bot.

"There we go, all done. Be careful not to jostle yourself now." The nurse stood and wiped her servos with a wash rag pulled from her sub space pocket. Tailgate sat on another berth just behind Cyclonus hands tucked between his legs in a nervous gesture, he didn't like relying on other bots for something he could surely supply himself; in this case it was self-defense. His helm hung low and his shoulders hunched in self-aggression, he didn't like asking to borrow money or anything else really; even from Ratchet, he didn't like being a helpless little mini-bot but as luck had it, he was evidently stuck that way. The Nurse made her way to Tailgate and examined his ankle joint. It seemed functional, minimal damage besides a few dents here and there, but nothing severe. Tailgate mumbled a nearly inaudible thank-you and was off and out the door. He didn't bother waiting for Cyclonus, as he had other ways of dealing with his stress. The library was one of the few places he indulged himself; besides reading, he didn't have any other hobbies.

As far as he was concerned he didn't have any other reasons to have any other hobbies. Aspiring to be a bomb disposal expert, a career that was most certainly earned by high grades and expertise, both of which he had, was his ultimate goal and he didn't have the time to waist. For someone so small, Tailgate was extremely bright; his intelligence was hardly rivaled by his peers. His timid nature was something to be put into question, he was always nervous. He looked both ways before crossing the street and he always took public access vehicles. He was much too scared of being run over by a road hog to drive the normal way to school. Although he didn't like being a scared fright-filled mini-bot, he couldn't necessarily help himself.

He sifted through the data pad he had just pulled from the shelf it was about the civil war that had almost started in the capital of the planet. This piqued his interest, he had always heard stories and legends of two extremely brave mechs, one a prime one a gladiator. He shivered in anticipation. He had seen plenty of movies about the old civil war. It was one the most violent and mysterious war they had on Cybertron. His father always told him legends of Optimus Prime, one bot he had always looked up to below his father, whom he still loved and admired. Tailgate continued to skim the shelves and found, to his horror, Cyclonus looking around as he turned a corner. Tailgate froze in his tracks, the other bot turned and looked his way. Cyclonus took cautious steps to the other little mech, carefully avoiding any startling movement that might make his disappear again. Cyclonus wasn't much of a seeker as he found the job was always done by extremely attractive and deceitful mechs, he didn't feel like being classified in such a group. He was an excellent tracker though, that was one thing he could say about himself.

"Calm down Tailgate, I'm not here to be mad at you, come here." Cyclonus held his hand out like he was beckoning a sparkling. Tailgate was certainly the most nervous around mechs ten times his size (for reasons he would rather not voice) but when it came to Cyclonus it felt different.

"Right, sure, no problem," Tailgate mumbled as he went to the front desk to check his data pad out. Cyclonus followed right behind careful to catch up with the little bot. the librarian scanned the pad in handed it back to Tailgate without a word being said. Apparently there was some silent mutual agreement not to converse with one another in the large spacious room; hundreds of shelves over ninety feet tall. It looked old yet somewhat nice and cozy.

As the pair walked out of the library's sliding glass doors Ratchet drove up in a hurry, it looked to be an emergency.

"The school called me as soon as it happened, what's going on? Is Tailgate alright?" all the questions came at once, before Tailgate could stop him, Ratchet picked him up under his arms and turned him around for examination.

"Ratchet- stop I'm fine! Ack- if you keep jostling me I'm gonna empty all of my morning energon on you!" Tailgate wailed trying to pry the medics arms off of him. The medic scowled, but put Tailgate down at his requests.

"I just got into a little scuffle that's all, and I have a feeling they won't be messing with after what Cyclonus did to them. Ratchet looked at the towering lavender mech with suspicious curiosity.

"I didn't do much, just a fist to the wall and a few threats, nothing really." he admitted shrugging casually. Ratchet let out a spectacle hum, but let it go either way. In truth Cyclonus didn't sit very well with Ratchet, and he didn't trust large scary looking mechs as far as he was concerned, but he did help Tailgate…and he wasn't in too much of bad mood than he had seen him before when Tailgate did something relatively…odd. Maybe Cyclonus wasn't so bad, maybe.

"Well I'll be staying with you at your flat for a while Tailgate, just so you'll have someone looking after you, besides Cyclonus." Tailgate perked his helm and clasped his servos together. He always loved it when Ratchet stayed over; he had always been a second carrier to him. The idea of having to mechs over for however long made him want to leap for joy. However he kept his ecstatic exclamations to himself.

"Wow, that's great Ratchet! Thanks!" Tailgate said squeezing his little white fists next to his covered cheek plates.

"Sure, but don't get too excited I'm not coming alone." Ratchet said crossing his arms. Just before he could ask who else was coming, a very familiar looking truck pulled up next to them. As he transformed, Orion looked to Tailgate with an unreadable expression. Though the face mask didn't help much, it made Tailgate wondered if that's what other bots felt like when they talked to him.

"Hello again Tailgate, and I see you friend has some new bruises. You certainly do have a knack for finding trouble don't you?" Cyclonus merely narrowed his optics and skipped a verbal response, he was much too exhausted to try to fight with the police-bot.

"So are you coming to stay too?" Tailgate asked innocently, trying to hide his mischievous curiosity.

"If you'll have me; I don't want to make myself a burden." Orion said, optics toning down to a soft glow.

"Of course! The more the merrier!" Tailgate exclaimed clapping his servos excitedly.

"Now all we have to do his find bedding arrangements." Ratchet scratching his helm thoughtfully.


	5. Hopefully he's having a better day

It was a task, that was for certain, finding the bedding that they all needed. However Orion ended up sleeping on the floor among thermal blankets and plush pillows, insisting that he would be just fine with that. Cyclonus took the couch due to his rather severe injuries now that Tailgate had thought about it. A soft rumbling snore emitted from Ratchet across the room, one arm splayed over his tank and the other hanging limply off of the berth. In the dim, yellow florescent street light Tailgate hopped off of his berth and proceeded to the door. He crept into the den and found the police bot stooped over in concentration, the white florescent lights above his helm barely tall enough not to hit him on the forehead. Tailgate tilted his helm to the side and walked up beside him.

"You're up rather early, don't you think?" Orion hummed as he patted the stool beside him.

"Speak for yourself, what are you doing anyways, paper work?" Tailgate asked noting all of the data pads scattered about the table top. Orion shrugged, optics focused on the data pad in his servos.

"Just reading reports, nothing special. You?" now it was Tailgates turn to shrug. It's not that he wasn't tired, because he most certainly was. He just couldn't get over the fact that Cyclonus was lying there on his couch, the soft rumbling of his engine echoing through the otherwise silent house. Tailgate turned back to Orion, the police bot let a soft smile show through his optics before turning back to his work. Tailgate rubbed his helm and felt his optical shields droop and made a move to rub them only to be blocked by his visor.

"Something the matter?" Orion asked turning to Tailgate again. Tailgate shook his helm 'no' and hopped off the seat.

"Don't stay up too late, if you have work tomorrow you'll need all the sleep you can get." Tailgate advised over his shoulder.

~xxx~

"Wow, I still can't believe you have a prisoner of war held up in your Flat…."

"He's not a prisoner, Whirl he can leave whenever he wants to." Tailgate retorted rolling his optics under his visor. His longtime friend, Whirl, was about as strange as a bot could get. He could never ask and was pretty sure Whirl would never say how, but he had pincers for servos. He had a very strange helm too, with only one optic present. Whirl had a bit of knack for finding trouble, either that or trouble found Whirl and he didn't bother ignoring it.

"Then why hasn't he left yet? I sure as pit would, your flats _waaaaaayyyyyy_ too small for a mech my size." Whirl elaborated by straitening his back struts to their full height.

"Gee thanks, nice to know you think I'm puny." Tailgate said in flat sarcasm. Whirl had made a fair amount of jokes at Tailgates stature in the past, he couldn't say he wasn't used to it, but just because he was used to it didn't mean he liked it. Whirl let out a little manic chuckle and picked Tailgate up to meet his optic level.

"That's cute how you think you can use sarcasm. Real cute" Whirl said squeezing his tiny friend. Tailgate capped him in the optic and tried to wriggle free of the others grasp.

"Primus, you are a wriggler, aren't you?" Whirl said putting Tailgate down in a less than gentle way. Tailgate made a frustrated noise and rubbed his sore aft as the bus pulled up to their stop.

"I was only wriggling because you were pinching me!" Tailgate yelped swatting Whirl on the arm. Whirl let out sarcastic huff and pinched Tailgates aft before scampering off to the very back of the bus.

"Whirl you slagger!" Tailgate yelled back he got a maniacal chuckle in response. Tailgate plopped down into an empty seat, and leaned into the cold metal bus wall. His visor dimmed and he thought about previous events, like when Cyclonus and he started to watch a holo-vid about the Great War.

~Cyclonus made a few interesting notes about the quality and accuracy of the plot. Orion was on duty as was Ratchet, so Tailgate and Cyclonus were left to each other for company. Most of the movie was full of dreary speeches, dark yet dapper, and some very gory war scenes. One key scene, where the leader finds a spy, and executes him in front of the entire camp made Tailgate whimper and squish himself in as far as the couch would let him. Cyclonus looked at him for a short moment before turning the movie off.

"Huh? I thought you wanted to watch this." Tailgate's visor brightened with curiosity; he was more than certain that Cyclonus was enjoying himself.

"You were terrified, and besides I've seen enough war to last a life time. I don't really need to be watching this anymore than you do." Cyclonus ejected the video and set it back into its cartridge. Tailgate cocked his head, but didn't question the others intentions any further.~

As far as Tailgate could remember, his father had always reminded him that questioning another mech about his past was rude. Especially if you were to ask about war, killing people was bad enough, but people prying and prodding you for answers was even more uncomfortable.

"Man I wish I had a spine." Tailgate mumbled to himself as he stepped off of the bus.

"Well wishing for one only makes you look like more of a loser; I just wanted to point that out for the record." Whirl said looming over him, his singular optic set ablaze.

"Whirl, you're an aft." Tailgate said narrowing his visor. Whirl just shrugged and walked on into the tall glass building. So far he had been groped harassed and bullied. Tailgate had hoped Cyclonus was having a better day than he was.

"I just want to go for a walk! Is that too much to ask?" Cyclonus growled at the doctor standing in his way, blocking the door with a hard , stern expression set on his face.

"You're injured! With all of the wounds you have I would be surprised if you ended up in a body bag within two kliks of leaving here!" Ratchet, a very reasonable mech, was not in the mood for arguing. He had a reputation to keep his patients safe and in bed to heal until they were healthy again. He was not about to sully it with Cyclonus, no matter how good he felt.

"I can take care of myself, medic. If you're so worried about my health than you'll let me out of this hell; because if I stay in this stuffy, tiny box, I will lose it!" Cyclonus emphasized his point with a loud stomp. The shorter mech just rolled his optics and crossed his arms. He wasn't in the mood for a hissy fit from a mech twice his size.

"Then open a window and suck it up, because if you think you can get past me then you are sorely mistaken."

Yeah, he was probably having a lot better day than Tailgate.

"Yo, buddy!" Tailgate turned to see his friend Swerve trotting up behind him, "wait up!" tailgate couldn't help, but smile behind his visor. Swerve always knew how to cheer him up, if anyone could make his day better it was Swerve. Tailgate waved him over as he opened his locker up, visor brightening already.

"Oh-my-primus. You will not _believe_ me when I tell you what happened to me." he exclaimed a wide grin stretched across his face "I-scrap! Hide!" as suddenly as it was said Swerve shoved both Tailgate and himself into Tailgate's locker. It was slammed shut as a group of other students walked by, one being identified as Blurr.

Well that explains a lot.

"Swerve, if you don't get us out of here in the next five seconds, I will kick you in the crotch so hard, you will be numb for _years._" Tailgate ground out as his visor darkened dramatically to emphasize his point.

"Oh, right okay lemme just- no that's not right, oh, how about…this!" after a moment of fidgeting with the lock on the door, it clicked open.

"Welp, that solves that. Now why don't we get to class huh?" Swerve said turning to Tailgate with his normal wide set grin. Tailgate just rolled his optics and headed to class.

Mounds of paper work piled on Orion's desk. Orion loved being a police officer, really he did, but when you get this much work to do…you begin to not only hate the job itself, but yourself as well for taking it in the first place. He sighed and scrolled through the first one he grabbed, nothing but reports and due-date there. He set that one aside and picked a new one, same as the last. Orion sighed and set it with the other; if this was how his day was going to be then he was beginning to have doubts about his week.

As he searched each pad he came across the pile beside him grew, until he came to an interesting little bit about the recent gang activities.

It was a report about the Depticon one unparticular, it seems they've been robbing store after store. They were getting more ruthless by the second too, over twenty homicides had been linked to them. What was stranger and all the more gruesome, is that they were trafficking pleasure bot's. That's one thing Orion couldn't stand. Selling bots like they were meaningless possession's irked Orion more than he would care to admit, especially when they were young and ignorant about the world. Innocent sparkling going down into that hell was unbearable.

"Sir, someone is here to see you." An officer knocked on the open door frame and alerted Orion of his presence.

"Yes, send them in." Orion ordered leaning back in his chair. He made a mental note not to let himself get so worked up.

"Orion, I brought you some lunch." Ratchet said walking into the others office and eyed the mounds of work on his desk.

"Yes, I know, I have a lot of work. Thank you for lunch by the way." Orion interjected before Ratchet could say anything.

"Right, look there was another reason I came down here. I'm worried that Tailgate is risking himself by housing Cyclonus, I don't trust him" Ratchet whispered leaning over Orion's desk.

"Well he certainly isn't the cheeriest, but just because he got into a fight doesn't make him a criminal." Orion took I sip of his drink. "And besides, if everyone looked trustworthy my job would be a hundred times harder than it already is."

Ratchet rolled his optics and slumped in his seat. Orion chuckled and sipped from his drink, Ratchet and he had been friends for years and Ratchet has still succeeded to make him laugh.

"So, where's Cyclonus? I thought you had a reputation to keep." Orion asked brow raised.

"Oh, he's fully capable of transportation but I just wanted him to be safe." Ratchet said.

"**RATCHET!"** Cyclonus was evidently handcuffed to a bolted chair back at the flat. Enraged by this he vowed revenge on Ratchet and his family, and believe me, that is not a position you wanna be in.

"Well knowing you I'm sure he's well taken care of." Orion complimented with a glint in his optic.

A blaring ring echoed through the room, it was Orion's phone.

"Hello, Orion Pax speaking." A few static murmurs. "Right, I'm on my way, I'll be there as soon as possible."

"What's wrong?" Ratchet asked as Orion rushed out the door.

"Ratchet bring your medical kit, there's been an explosion down at the school." Orion said serious as ever.

"Wait, at Tailgates school?!" Ratchet said panic setting it as he sped up to match his companions pace.

"Yes." Orion said bluntly.


End file.
